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If you’re all about making next-level and viral content, you’ve very likely heard the whispering around Sora 2 that is the newest AI from OpenAI that’s literally conjuring out wild ideas into cinematic short movies from straight off the phone. It doesn’t just spit out video clips from text prompts – the new physics engine makes movements believable and the dialogue actually syncs with lips in real time. The best part? Cameo lets you star in your own AI productions with your own face and voice as if you hired a Hollywood VFX team.

But here’s the catch: Sora 2 is locked down to users in the US and Canada for now. If you’re anywhere else, you’ll hit that dead-end “not available in your region” screen, and trust me, the FOMO is real. OpenAI is keeping things tight while they fine-tune safety and sort out moderation—as explained in their official docs—but young creators worldwide are hungry for access and swapping hacks in group chats. French tech sites like Journal du Geek, German blogs, and even TikTokers in Tokyo are all sharing tricks to break through the geoblock and get Sora 2 working outside North America. So yes, no matter where you are, local nerds are on it.

All About the Hype Around Sora 2

Sora 2 is not only an upgrade but the complete redo for AI video: Scenes are realistic; you throw the ball, and the ball really bounces naturally. Street sounds, background chatter, even explosions synchronize what you’re seeing on the screen and you can edit videos with friends directly from the iOS app. The Cameo is the end all feature, where you get to appear in scenes by simply uploading the selfie and voice recording. Now you’re riding the wave off Hawaii or rapping aliens on Mars even though the reality is you recorded you from the safety of the bedroom.

For now, OpenAI is only letting North Americans in and partly to keep a handle on moderation and to test for issues before letting the rest of the world unleash creative chaos. That makes sense, but if you’re reading this, you’re probably itching to bypass the wall.

Begin by getting the good VPN that’s got quick US servers; all the devs have the ones national tech reviewers like Journal du Geek in France would advise but any good VPN is fine (we’d recommend NordVPN though, you can read a full review here). Hook the iPhone up to the US server and done—the App Store, OpenAI, all the rest—that’ll believe you’re relaxing out in Texas or LA. Now you make the new Apple ID with “United States” region. Sign out from the old one on the phone, sign out with this one and you’re good to download Sora 2 straight from the App Store.

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The one last step: scoring an invitation to Sora 2. It’s still invite-only, like the Clubhouse’s early days but drops are frequent on the OpenAI Discord. Get on, be respectful in the Sora chat and the members likely have extras to give away. Once you score yours, open the Sora application, connect up with your OpenAI account, and then you’re good to experiment.

It’s worth doing if you’re in Paris, Sydney, or Berlin, since tech sites all over the world have done play-by-play so you’ll tune up for localization eccentricities. The ultimate tools are VPN, US Apple ID, and an invitation code: no creepy downloads, no far-out scripts. After the gate, test out Sora’s new physics, chat up with Cameo, and see why teens and creators around the world are obsessed.

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Based on our years of experience using and testing VPNs, here’s what you should consider when choosing a VPN for streaming.

Streaming capabilities

Your VPN’s capacity to access streaming content is the top factor to consider in a VPN for streaming. If your VPN can’t access geo-restricted streaming content, it isn’t fit for this purpose. It’s also important to make sure that the VPN you choose works well for the specific streaming services you want to access. Think about the streaming services you want to watch like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Hulu, Peacock, Crunchyroll, YouTube TV and Sling — then try your VPN with those services to see if it works. We’ve found that ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark all work reliably with each of those streaming services across most platforms.

Keep in mind that a streaming service that works with a specific VPN today may not tomorrow (and vice versa). Sometimes a simple server switch can do the trick and get you access to the content you’re looking for. If not, you can alert your VPN’s support team to the issue and they may be able to get it resolved. Each of these VPNs will give you your money back within 30 days of purchase, so if it happens to not work as well as you want, you can get a refund. Check out the best VPNs for Netflix and the best VPNs for Amazon Prime Video for more information.

Speed

Your VPN’s speed performance plays a major role in the overall quality of your streaming experience. You’ll need a VPN that’s fast, especially if you’re streaming in 4K or if you’re accessing geo-blocked content from a region that’s a considerable distance from your physical location. Generally, you’ll need download speeds of 25Mbps at a bare minimum for 4K streaming, but you’ll want at least 50Mbps for reliable 4K streaming. You can get by with far less (10 to 20Mbps) for HD streaming. All VPNs will slow your speeds somewhat (sometimes by 50% or more), but if your VPN is slowing your connection too much, you may end up experiencing a lot of buffering or lower-quality video playback. A fast streaming VPN will only reduce your download speeds minimally — ideally by 25% or less on average. As long as your connection is fast enough to begin with, the speed loss shouldn’t be noticeable.

Privacy

Regardless of what you’re using your VPN for, privacy is a key consideration for any VPN service. Your VPN should have privacy measures in place, like DNS leak protection, a kill switch, modern encryption protocols and a no-logs policy (ideally one that’s been audited or tested in the wild). A VPN that provides the necessary privacy protections will ensure that your internet traffic is never leaked unencrypted.

Network

A good VPN for streaming should have a network of servers in locations across the globe. If you’re looking to fully optimize your streaming and get access to the largest selection of streaming content, then you’ll probably want to choose a VPN with servers located in the largest number of countries. If you’re looking to access content from a specific region, you should check to ensure the VPN you want to use has servers in the region(s) you need. You can check the VPN’s server page on its website to see what countries it has servers in before purchasing a subscription. Most of our top picks feature thousands of servers in 100-plus countries. To unblock streaming content from a specific country, all you need to do is use the VPN app to connect to a server located in the country from which you want to stream content. For example, to access the US Netflix library, ensure you’re connected to a server in the US. Or if you want to access content on BBC iPlayer, connect to a UK server.

Device compatibility

You’ll also want to make sure that the streaming VPN you choose is compatible with the device on which you want to stream content, whether that’s a mobile device, laptop, smart TV or streaming device. Most VPNs are compatible with a wide range of devices, but it’s always a good idea to confirm that the service you’re considering will work with your device. Many VPNs have apps for Fire TV and Android TV that work on streaming devices or smart TVs, but not every provider has an Apple TV app yet. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, PIA and IPVanish are a few of the providers that do have Apple TV apps. (Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) Luckily, you can use a VPN on your router if you want to use a VPN with devices like PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles or Roku streaming devices that don’t support native VPN apps.

Router installation

It isn’t necessary to use a router to stream geo-blocked content with a VPN, but it can help if your smart TV or streaming device doesn’t natively support VPN apps. Also, with a VPN router setup, you can protect all of the devices on your network at once while using only one of your allotted simultaneous connections. Installing a VPN on a compatible router can be difficult and even risky if you try it yourself, so be sure you have the technical know-how to do so before proceeding. Alternatively, you can purchase a router with a VPN preinstalled from a company like FlashRouters. If you’re an ExpressVPN user, you can purchase the provider’s Aircove router or use its intuitive router app on your existing VPN-compatible router.

Cost

VPN prices can vary considerably from one provider to another. A monthly VPN subscription can range anywhere from about $5 to $15 per month. Longer-term VPN subscription plans often feature introductory pricing around $40 to $100 for the first year. But be aware that renewal prices can sometimes double or even quadruple — with VPN renewal pricing coming in anywhere from $50 to $150 or more per year after introductory term. If you’re on a budget, take a look at our list of the best cheap VPNs. You can even use a VPN to save money on your streaming subscriptions because a VPN can help you access more global content without you having to subscribe to as many streaming services.

Sports streaming

If you’re a sports fan, you can use a VPN to avoid regional blackouts and stream sports from anywhere. To do so, just connect to a VPN server in a location where the sporting event is accessible online — whether it’s a specific U.S. city, or a different country — and you should be able to stream all the sports you want. For instance, you can use a VPN to stream out-of-market NFL games or watch NFL matches while traveling abroad.